Interesting 5 min max ice breaker for a meeting of 8 CEOs -women/men

[KingfordRun]

Any interesting ice breaker recommendations for a meeting? Delegates don’t know each other well and this will serve as an opener on a workshop re: personal growth/development. Many thanks

Another one who hates ice breakers - if pushed I prefer the introduction plus a 'interesting' fact
But truthfully from senior management upwards esp CEOs they should be open enough to introducing themselves over coffee and as facilitator just look out for anyone who doesn't and ease them into a group.

Coffee and chat. Or just introductions, what their role is and what they hope to get from the event. Or I like the idea of the "story about the worst icebreaker".

Honestly hearing boring "interesting" facts about total strangers like "I like baking/cycling" doesn't help break the ice or make me feel like I know them. I had to do bingo once. Awful. Nothing helps you get to know people like desperately going round the room asking "were you born in november? Do you own a cat?" Sharing "the defining moment of my life" or something similar felt far too personal.

Ask them to give three statements about themselves, two truths and a lie. Rest of the table has to work out what the lie is.

I had to play that silly game once where you silently line up in order of birth months. Total nonsense. Ice breakers are awful.

Dd did one recently where she had to tell a fact about herself that most people wouldn't know. To be honest though they do seem a bit childish mostly

If I ruled the world.... participants must choose:
one humanitarian change
one political change
one personal change

Another 'I hate icebreakers' Coffee and buns for half an hour or so with a bell rung every 5 mins to move on to speak to someone you've not yet spoken to was the least awful of all the zillions I've been to. Actually was well organised as had 3 coffee stations round the room, each coffee station had different mini buns/cakes - one had donughts, one had Danish pastries, one had chunky home-made style biscuits, about 30 participants. Really encouraged circulation, and we soon found the first topic of conversation with the new person was 'have you tried the xxx yet' - they all really were yummy, and being mini you could indulge in several.

Hate icebreakers but 8 CEOs? A difficult bunch for whom the novelty has worn off.
I'm quite dry so it would be name badges or name places with a 'I'm sure some of you have already looked each other up on LinkedIn/google so feel free to mingle......' These are probably honed professionals who have no issues introducing themselves to each other.

I have done:-

1. Tell us 1 thing about yourself that is true and 1 thing that is not true - rest of the group has to guess which is true/not true
2. Three things about yourself that none of the others would know

Sorry I should have RTFT - others have suggested mine

As senior management - please don't.

We've sat through many of these over the years and just want to get on with the course. A quick whip round the room for everyone to introduce themselves is fine. If they are coming from different industries, a quick overview of their role and company could be added.

I've fed this back to every trainer / facilitator i've come across and they always say "oh yes, a lot of people say that" and give a tinkly laugh.

So LISTEN then! Just get on with the course.

I have never seen ice breakers used successfully at this level. Their time is worth £££. Just get going.

Why on earth would you subject 8 CEOs to any such contrived nonsense? I hated them when I was a PA many years ago, I hate them even more now I'm rather more senior. For these folks, their time will be worth that much that I cannot imagine why you'd want to waste it on these sort of exercises.

These activities would spoil the day for me, not make me relaxed.

I'm with those who suggest that all that's needed for eight adults is a chat over coffee in normal fashion.

How about an introduction plus one question, such as:

How do you spend you free time?
What is something on your bucket list?
What time did you get up this morning?

Just something simple.

Another one who's worked in/with senior management saying just spare them- It's not productive or comfortable and senior management or no, I find is bit demeaning sometimes as an adult.
Most professionals and adults should be easily able to introduce themselves to each other and chat if the occasion even calls for it.
I've never left an ice breaker feeling particular positively about it and I think a lot of people internally groan and steel themselves up for them when they see it's on an agenda. Hardly what you want.

If it's vital to the cause- as others have said- Quick whip around as to who you are/what you do if it is relevant, or if you want to offer anyone the opportunity to introduce yourself, there'll always be someone who will (to look good) and everyone else will follow suit out of obligation

At CEO level I don't think I'd expect an icebreaker? I'm nowhere near that level but fairly senior I suppose, and I've noticed the higher up the chain you get the less tolerance there is for that sort of thing.

Ugh. Just don’t. Why would you do this? Respect introverts and people with anxiety and don’t force them into this excruciating nonsense. Assume the people you’ve employed are capable of interacting with colleagues without enforced ‘fun’.

Not one single person in the history of ice breakers has ever got anything out of them. Except the person taking the seminar/meeting who needed to fill 10 minutes of time.

I think a lot of people internally groan and steel themselves up for them

Yes, this at best. At worst they get anxious about it, can only think about the ice breaker and afterwards worry they made a fool of themselves.

Don't do it.

Agree that at CEO level icebreakers are pointless. Go around the room, introduce themselves, their company/background, and that’s it. I’ve been asked before abo lit “what do your hope to get out of the session today”; which was good in theory but rubbish when I said what I hoped to get out of the course and the trainer went “oh, err... we won’t quite be covering that today...”

please don't do an icebreaker. awful cringey things.

@Tessellated I had to do bingo once. Awful. Nothing helps you get to know people like desperately going round the room asking "were you born in november? Do you own a cat?"

The mental image of this has really tickled me! The desperation indeed.

They're bloody awful things if you're the most junior member of the company and a fucking time-wasting insult if you're CEO level. Just get on with the business of the day.

Ice breaking is universally hated by attendees of such events as a concept but it does usually work. However, there's a circle of hell reserved for anyone still doing Safari Networking as the follow-up.

But.. as you're talking about a very small group (8) of high level delegates (CEOs) so I do wonder why you suggest a ice breaker is relevant or needed. People at that level have got there through networking, trust them to take care of the introductions and get-to-know-yous themselves. If there's an opportunity for a coffee before hand, trust me - they'll know each other better than you will know them before you start the session.